Saint Louis Chess Club

About the Saint Louis Chess Club

At the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) we strive to provide students, teachers, parents and school administrators with the resources they need to develop or improve their scholastic chess endeavors. It is our goal to promote the Scholastic Chess Initiative through our programs and offerings in order to academically challenge youth in a fun and engaging manner, enabling them to do better in the classroom and participate more fully in before, during, and after school programming as well as community events. The Scholastic Chess Initiative has grown to have programming in over 100 schools throughout the Saint Louis region annually with over 100,000 students receiving chess education since the Club's inception in 2009. The STLCC is a premier destination for the world’s best chess players and beginners alike.  In 2014, Saint Louis was proclaimed the Chess Capital of the United States, declared by the U.S. Senate due to its work in raising the awareness of chess and its benefits.

What We Do:

TEACH

With our goal of building champions in both the classroom and community, the Saint Louis Chess Club uses chess as an educational tool teaching students important developmental skills like planning, goal setting, spatial awareness, sportsmanship, critical thinking and more. But these skills go beyond the classroom teaching students to become better decision-makers by gaining confidence and working hard.

PROVIDE

STLCC is a member-based community center open seven days a week, where players of all skill levels, from beginner to expert, attend our free classes, participate in scholastic tournaments, attend lectures, take private lessons and attend summer camps

HOST

The Saint Louis Chess Club promotes chess at the elite levels by hosting national and international tournaments with top players around the globe. The STLCC’s major tournament broadcasts reach nearly 200 countries, reaching multicultural audiences while the STLCC YouTube channel and Twitch.tv offer free online learning through weekly classes and lectures.

Programs:

The Saint Louis Chess Club promotes the game of chess and maximizes its educational benefits for school children in the following ways:

Digital Classroom: Online opportunities for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players to learn facets of the scholastic chess curriculum from Club-trained chess faculty. Students received individualized attention with the ability to ask instructors questions in real-time.

Scouts BSA Chess Merit Badge: One of the most popular badges in the Scouts BSA merit badge catalog since its introduction in 2011 by the STLCC, nearly 300,000 scouts have earned their merit badge. Scouts BSA merit badge workshops take place in-person and online, and all workshops are free and open to scouts, ages 11-17.

First Responders C.H.E.S.S: In partnership with the greater Saint Louis region police, firefighters, paramedics, and EMT’S, First Responders C.H.E.S.S. (Chess Helping Enhance Student Skills) is an important educational program which grows positive relationships, through the game of chess, between students and frontline professionals who serve our community. 

Originally named C.H.E.S.S. Cops and created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Saint Louis County Police Department, and Police Athletic League, the program has grown to include more First Responders in a continued effort to break down barriers and develop positive associations. First Responders C.H.E.S.S. gives First Responders a special opportunity to interact and play chess with students throughout Saint Louis at schools, organized tournaments, and experiential events. In addition, the Saint Louis Chess Club provides chess instruction to First Responders, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to be an ongoing resource and further programming in schools.

Why We Are Important: 

Making sure students have access to chess is important. Research conducted by the SLCC in conjunction with the University of Missouri-Columbia has shown that:

-71% of students say they look forward to school more on days when they have chess during the day

-76% of students report that chess has taught them they can complete difficult tasks if they work hard

-74% of students report that chess has made them more confident that they can learn difficult material

-73% of students report that their experience in chess makes them want to challenge themselves more in the future

How We Impact The Community: 

Since 2020, many of our in-person programs transitioned to online offerings for students and those interested in learning the game of chess. Through our digital classrooms students were able to continue their scholastic chess training virtually.